The Quiet Uzumaki and the Robust Hyuuga
by The Open-Eyed Day Dreamer
Summary: Naruto has retreated into a shell of fear and shyness at his many years of being abused; Hinata has had enough of the prickly ways of the Hyuuga and decided to liven them up with her exotic ideas. As they find each other they will rely on each others strength and push each other to strive towards their goals and become stronger together than alone. Rinnegan Naruto on Wave Arc.


**The Beginning**

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_Thinking/ Indention/ Flashbacks/ Fantasies_

_**Kyuubi talking to Naruto in mindscape/ Naming a jutsu/ bold indention**_

**Kyuubi talking telepathically to Naruto/ Calling out a jutsu/ Bold words**

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_**I unfortunately do not own Naruto; if I did I would've made Naruto and Hinata a couple a long time ago!**_

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* * *

Eight years prior in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, a horrible and tragic incident plagued the land on October the tenth. The Kyuubi no Yoko, or called the Nine-Tailed Fox, went rampart on that fateful day and destroyed nearly half of Konohagakure's foundation. Shinobi of the Leaf fought to the best of their abilities to keep the creature at bay, but their efforts although great—were futile as well. Many shinobi lost their lives that day but their hard work, perseverance, and general love of their village did not go to waste. Minato Namikaze, or formally known as the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf Village, used his Fuuinjutsu skills to the best of his abilities into an infant which ultimately led to his death as a last resort effort.

This infant was known as Naruto Uzumaki and in some rare cases for those who knew of his real lineage, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, Minato Namikaze's son. Though he was of royal blood, Naruto has been mistreated, misjudged, and abused in his young life. This has caused the young boy to retreat into a shell of fear and shyness, constantly being afraid and alert of his surroundings. He never spoke any louder than a whisper, he ducked his head to avoid eye contact with others, and he didn't speak of his beliefs for fear of being beaten or worse, killed. His personality gave the villagers a chance to get revenge on the fox in a sick and twisted way by constantly undermining the boy and give him regular chases they liked to call "Fox Hunts".

Truly the boy was easy pickings for any kind of treatment that would occur to him and he would never voice his complains because of his shy demeanor. This currently led to the present situation…

"And stay out you little demon!" A nursemaid screamed as she kicked the blonde boy harshly down the steps of Konohagakure's Orphanage. Naruto Uzumaki, currently at the age of eight years old, rolled painfully down the stone steps with loud shrieks to voice his pain. It was raining hard as he fell into a mud puddle with a bone jarring thud, his cuts and scratches from the sharp steps burning as they made contact with the filthy water.

He hissed in pain and looked up at the nursemaid as she stared down at him with disgust. "This is a place for _human_ children to be taken care of, not a place where demons can do as they please!" She shouted before she spat a bit of spittle that landed square on Naruto's whiskered cheek.

The boy's blue eyes were hooded as he let the woman mistreat him for he did not have the will nor the confidence to stand up to the woman. After she slammed the doors to the orphanage and left a painful ringing in his ears, Naruto picked up his dirty and bloodied body from the ground and started to limp down the street to find a new place of rest.

He wandered everywhere he could think of that had little shelter, but whenever he did he would always get kicked or thrown out by a villager onto the streets again. He hung his head as bitter tears rolled down his face but he did not cry aloud. He believed that if he ever showed the villagers any weakness, he was most likely to get beaten again.

_I have to find somewhere to rest tonight…_ The blonde thought as he held his left arm in pain. It had taken the worst from his tumble down the stairs. _At least somewhere to heal my wounds… I can't afford another beating…_

As if Kami had answered his prayers, he found a giant forestry, though guarded by metal fences, as he wandered into an open field. It held a great amasses of trees and shrubbery that filled the timid Uzumaki with little hope. "P-Perfect." Naruto said softly as he staggered over to an enormous gate and looked at the lock. It was a simple square padlock that required a key of some sort—luckily the blue eyed boy had had some experiences with locks being that he was locked in his room multiple times back at the orphanage.

Naruto used his good arm to reach his hand into his pocket for something to help him unlock the lock. He stopped once his fingertips grazed against a hard surface and grasped it before lifting it up to his face to get a better look at it. It was a hairpin.

Naruto smiled softly at his discovery. "Th-This is just wh-what I needed." He whispered as he used his mouth to angle the pin into the shape he needed before sticking the tiny object in the keyhole and twisting it around while listening to the tumblers. When it clicked, Naruto pulled down on the lock and let it fall to the ground with a heavy thud.

_It looks like there is someone looking after me after all…_ The blonde thought solemnly as he looked around to see if anyone followed him before quickly slipping inside and running into the giant forest.

A dented and worn out plaque that had wood boarded on it swung ominously in the rain. Suddenly a strong gust of wind ripped through the area and completely tore off the old slabs of wood from the dented and white plaque. The words, _"Forest of Death"_ that were imprinted in big red kanji letters, glowed dangerously in the rain as it continued to swing and creak into the night…

* * *

The rain was pouring down hard as young Naruto quickly scurried through the giant forest, searching desperately for shelter. He knew that forests were dangerous, especially at night, but he had no other choice but to stay in the forest for the night.

He breathed hard as he whipped wet blonde head to and fro before continuing on his quest for a dry place to sleep. His prayers were answered yet again as he spotted a cave a few yards away. He quickly stumbled over to it, tripping a few times, but eventually he made it inside before collapsing from exhaustion.

Naruto gasped for air, his vision blurry and his head spinning. His body shook from his damp and tattered clothes that were clinging tightly onto his small form (**A/N: he's wearing a white tee-shirt with a red swirl in the front and some blue shorts with blue sandals by the way**). The cave was surprisingly warm and Naruto found himself slipping into unconsciousness but with a single thought emerging before doing so.

_I wonder how you are doing right now, Hiruzen-jiji… Are you safe…? _And then, the eight year old's world went black.

The next morning, Naruto was awakened by the chirping of small birds and the drops of water that constantly hit the bridge of his nose. He rose up slowly, hearing the pops and cracks of his stiff body, before stretching and yawning with tiredness. After he had gotten his bearings and his reoccurring memories from the previous night, Naruto began to immediately check on his wounds. He surprisingly found that they were all healed and left no trace that they had ever existed.

"I-I wonder how I a-am able to do th-that…?" The boy wondered aloud as he flexed and rolled his left arm, testing its physical state. He was satisfied when it was in peak condition. "I-I think H-Hiruzen-jiji c-called it a-a bloodline…?" His brows furrowed in deep thought before he sighed, got up, and started to wander out into the forest again.

Though he had ran into the giant mass of trees, he had no idea where he was at the moment. He assumed that he was such in a rush that he didn't even think to check his surroundings so as to remember his way back out.

Now Naruto was frightened and afraid by his lonesome with the echoing of creatures filling his ears but no forms in his line of sight._ I… I really wished I hadn't gotten myself lost… _He thought despairingly. _Now I will starve and die out here and creatures will feast on my carcass and bones when I do…!_ He suddenly froze after he heard a distinct sound behind him. It was low but held a sound of malicious intent in it and it sound like… like… hissing…?

Naruto gulped before he slowly turned around towards the new and dangerous sound. There, right in front of him, was a fifty foot snake leering down at him as its forked tongue flicked in and out repeatedly. Naruto didn't even have time to utter a single squeak before the snake opened its giant maw and lunged at him. The boy managed to dodge the attack at the last millisecond but by some unfortunate misshapen, he fell down a cliff in order to get away from the hungry reptilian creature.

"Gah…! Ack…! Ah…!" He screamed out painfully as he tumbled down the cliff accumulating new cuts and bruises. On one particular tumble, he landed hard on his right arm and heard a sickening snap that seemed to ring out though the entire forest. The timid blonde cried out in sheer pain with tears rolling down his cheeks like rapid rivers. He landed on the ground with a lewd slap on his back and he writhed around in pain and slight anguish. He didn't understand why the world treated him so, and his life just seemed to get worse and worse by the mere second.

_Maybe… it would have been better if I had never existed…? _He thought sadly as he stared up at the sky—watching as grey clouds seemed to roll in and cover the bright sun. The little eight year old wallowed in self-pity and stared at the greying sky with dull, almost lifeless cerulean eyes.

That was until he heard another noise.

Naruto was alert and he suddenly jerked forward only to be met with severe pangs in his right arm. He held his arm and looked around wildly for anymore creatures that were trying to attack him. He found none but he heard a sort of shrill cry coming from due northeast from his location. He thought about running away again but he noticed that this noise sounded much different. It sounded like… distress…

Naruto looked up from where he came and then looked down at his broken arm. He sighed before he carefully got up and started to limp over to the cries. _I know that I am going to regret this but… I just can't help myself when someone or something is in trouble… no matter how bad they might be…_

He pushed through trees, rivers, and occasionally thorned bushes but his resolve persevered. After what seemed like hours, Naruto finally got to the area of where the shrieking cries were coming from. He stumbled against a tree, breathing hard from pushing himself soo far in his weak condition. His vision was getting blurry but his mindset was clear and he pushed himself out of the dense populous of the trees and into the open clearing. For the first time, the _first time_ in his young life, Naruto was determined and had the drive to do something.

And… he admittedly felt… good.

Naruto staggered as he made his way over to the cries with his knees buckling, his lungs burning, and his body gushing out blood. His head was down as he tried to focus his vision and once he did look up, he saw that the cries were coming from a… tiger…

But it wasn't just any tiger; it was the rare white tiger that were extremely hard to find in all of the elemental nations. They say that these creatures held unknown supernatural properties and could grant immense power to any human it came into contact with. That's why, many years ago, these creatures were sought after and hunted for their magical abilities, nearly causing these beautiful creatures to go extinct. So in order to avoid total extinction of its species, the remainder of the white tigers fled and seemed to disappear from the world all together. That is… until now…

Naruto was awed as he stared at its sleek white fur, full white mane, blazing amber eyes and its general majestic appearance as he stared upon it. He didn't want to startle it but that proved impossible after he stepped on a random stick that crunched loudly under his foot. The awe-inspiring creature immediately snapped its head towards the blonde boy and belted out a menacing growl towards him. It started to stand up but it suddenly collapsed after it put its weight on its left side making it moan in pain.

Naruto blinked before he shook his head and focused. "A-Ah," Naruto squeaked as he quickly made his way over to the creature, "y-you're hurt! Do y-you need s-some h-help?" He was only five feet away from the wounded animal before he stopped when the big cat hissed ferociously at him. Naruto jumped, startled and was about to run away but stopped as his logical part took over him.

_It's very badly hurt and we can't just leave it out here…_ He thought deeply, his blonde brows furrowing together. _It could be killed without treatment or worse, by other animals…!_ He shivered at the mere entry of that thought. _And… I'm pretty sure it was calling for its friends to help it out… yes… I must stay and try to do the best I can…!_

He took in a long, deep breath before edging his way closer to the creature. It bared its fangs as it hissed at him as if trying to scare him off, but Naruto would not run away. Not again.

"It's okay…" He said in a gentle tone as he kneeled beside the tiger. A low growling could be heard from its throat but stopped once it looked into the blonde boy's clear cerulean eyes. "I won't hurt you… I promise…" Without any hesitation, Naruto reached out a hand towards the beasts flank before he gently pressed down on it. The tiger tensed for a moment—not quite sure if it could trust the boy—but it immediately calmed when the Jinchuriki started to stroke its side with long, smooth strokes.

Naruto smiled as watched the feline purr appreciatively from his gentle ministrations. After a few more strokes or so, the blonde boy pulled his hand away and caused the creature to look at him with disappointed and pleading amber eyes. He huffed in amusement at the tiger's facial expression before he spoke. "I-I am sorry, b-but I would r-really like to ch-check o-on your wounds. I-Is that o-okay?" He asked. The tiger stared at him before it slowly rolled onto its back and showed him its other side. It seemed to understand him.

Naruto gave it a gentle pat on its snout to show it his gratitude. He looked down at its side and his eyes widened in mortification. There were large claw marks—angry, red, and raw—along its flank and large clumps of white fur that splayed all over the ground. Its left hind leg and front leg had deep cuts there were constantly gushing blood as did its flank.

Naruto nearly retched at the sight and the heavy metallic smell of blood, but he swallowed his vomit down and tried to calm himself with deep breaths before he analyzed the situation_. It seems as if a large creature had attacked it… mayhap a battle between it and its assailant…?_ Naruto gave it another once over before he came up with his conclusion. _Whatever it was it sure did leave this tiger severely wounded… Luckily I do know some herbs that will help but I do hope it's enough…_

During his time at the orphanage, the quiet Uzumaki had taught himself many things. He learned through his hardships and learned the ways of the world when no one even considered teaching him. With the help of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, he learned how to read and write step by step. So during his solitary days, which were mostly every day, Naruto studied and read the books that were given to him. The nursemaids never read to him like they did the other kids and always gave him big books because they thought he wasn't smart enough to understand them. But they never took into account that he was a bright child with the ability to learn very quickly.

He always took the books without complaint and dived right in to the world of words and imagination. He managed to always finish these gargantuan books in about a week or so. Of course these books were old and tattered, but they held such history that the little boy was adamantly fascinated by it. His favorite books were the history books and medicine books.

_Okay, judging by these wounds I will need the Lady's Mantle root to stop the bleeding along with some Yarrow and finally some Primrose to help it calm down… _Naruto thought calculatedly as he finished his examination.

He looked back at the wounded creature with soft, caring blue eyes. "Don't worry my friend, you'll feel better in no time. Just wait here and I promise I'll be back with some herbs, dattebayo!" (**A/N: That's right he still uses his tick but not as much like in the canon version**) The tiger gazed back at him with understanding and Naruto took off into the woods without another utterance.

…

A few minutes later, the quiet Uzumaki child came back with his arms and hands full of green herbs. He wordlessly applied the herbs onto the tiger's bloody side after he chewed them into a nice, soft compound. It hissed in pain after a few compressions of the herbal goo, but it gradually calmed as the plants' remedies slowly settled in. Afterwards, the boy brought out his trusty gauze tape from his pocket and began to slowly patch up the injured creature.

"One more loop… and… there!" He exclaimed happily as he stepped back to admire his work. "I-I know it's not a-as good as th-the professionals but i-it should be e-enough." The white tiger's side was all banged up with gauze tape that blended perfectly with its fur. You couldn't even tell if it had ever been injured.

The creature rolled onto its belly and slowly, but surely, stood up and tested out its muscles and limbs. Once it was satisfied it could stand, it went over to the blonde haired child and gave him an appreciative lick on his whiskered cheek.

Naruto chuckled at the ticklishness he felt from the feline's tongue. "Maa maa, i-it was n-nothing that I d-deserve praise f-for." Naruto blinked before his eyes widened in realization. "O-Oh that's right. I-I n-never knew if y-you were a boy o-or a girl… so… wh-what are you e-exactly…?"

The tiger blinked owlishly at him before it lay on its side and lifted up one leg to show off its gender. The Uzumaki blushed and scratched his whiskered cheek with a finger in embarrassment as he looked away. "I-I-I see… s-so you're a g-girl…" The tiger seemed to nod with an amused expression on her face as she watched the boy get flustered.

Naruto sat on the ground with heavy sigh. Truly this day and the day before had been one experience after the other for the little lad. Getting kicked out of the orphanage, sleeping in a forest for the night, and healing an injured tiger—sorry, _tigress_.

_Speaking of her…_ Naruto thought as he looked at the she-beast. She was currently licking her paw before swiping behind one of her ears. _I wonder if she has a name…_

"N-Ne, T-Tigress-san?" Said tiger looked up at him. "D-Do you have an n-name?" He asked. The beautiful creature just blinked before she resumed her grooming. Naruto sighed before he rubbed his chin in thought. "I-If you don't h-have a name, then d-do you mind if I-I name you?"

She looked back up at the blonde boy and gave him a slight nod in understanding.

Naruto clapped his hands together with a small smile on his lips and a bright blush on his whiskered cheeks. "Y-Yatta! O-Okay umm… eto… ano… h-how about… Akemi?"

The tigress blinked with her long, black-tipped tail swishing behind her. She turned her head with her chin tipped up with indifference. Naruto felt his sweat drop. "O-Okay… well how a-about Hisoka?"

She shook her head and started to lazily lick her good side now. Naruto's head hung with despair. "I-I thought th-that was a good o-one… Izumi then?"

The white tigress hissed furiously, her claws unsheathing and retracting at a fast pace. Naruto flinched and held his hands up high in surrender_. I-It's like she knows that the name means fountain…_

Naruto folded his arms, closed his eyes, and thought hard. He teetered his weight back and forth before jumping up onto his feet after an idea hit him. "Oh! Wh-What about Taiga then?" The white tigress seemed to light up before she pounced on top of Naruto and started to give him happy licks of approval along his cheeks.

He laughed as he tried to fend off the tigress's ticklish tongue by pushing her back. "A-Alright, alright T-Taiga-chan! I-I get it, I get it!" After a few more licks and squirming, Naruto was lying contently against the tigress's, or should I say, _Taiga's_ good side. She nestled her head on the boy's lap and he gently caressed her head with long, smooth strokes.

Naruto looked up and was greeted by the sun that was sitting high above him. _Ah… it's almost lunch time… _As if on cue, his stomache grumbled causing him to hold it in hunger related agony. _I'm really hungry but I don't have any money and I certainly don't want to trouble Teuchi-jiji or Ayame-neechan…_ He sighed. "What will I do…?" The blonde said aloud to no one in particular.

Taiga was looking up at the distressed eight-year old with unblinking amber eyes. She sensed his discomfort and heard his stomache cry out a loud plea of hunger. She nuzzled her big black nose against his ribs which further proved her suspicions.

Although, the lad took her nuzzling the wrong way. "T-Taiga-chan, th-that tickles!" Naruto chuckled lightly before he pushed away the feline's snout. The tigress just snorted before she stood up, bent her neck down, and clamped onto a piece of Naruto's shirt on his back with her giant maw. She then lifted the boy up as if he weighed but an ounce, and took off deeper into the forest with thundering paws.

The blonde Uzumaki on the other hand didn't know what had just happened. One minute Taiga was tickling him with her giant snout, then the next he found himself hovering a few feet off of the ground with the wind slicing through his hair like butter.

"A-Ah T-Taiga-chan," he stuttered as he tried to look up at her to the best of his abilities, "wh-where are you t-taking me?" The magnificent tigress just growled in response before she suddenly dipped her neck before snapping it back up like a whip as she unclamped her maw from the boy's shirt. Naruto screamed as he went soaring high into the sky before plummeting back to the earth at a breakneck speed.

"Taiga!" The blonde cried and squinted his eyes shut; awaiting the hard impact he would receive once he crashed into the ground. But it never came. Instead, his cerulean eyes were forced open as he felt the wind get knocked out of him and felt a soft and warm solid underneath his bottom. He blinked before looking down to see Taiga looking back at him with an amuse expression on her face. The boy slowly realized that he was riding the tiger. He was actually riding a tiger!

Taiga suddenly jumped over a dead log making Naruto cling onto her neck-fur for dear life. Her muscles contracted as she ran and her paws thundered on the forest floor signifying her strength and power as it echoed throughout the forest. Naruto's eyes widened in awe as he watched the tigress run. Her veil of mysteriousness appealing more to his nature of curiosity and wonder.

She suddenly skidded to a stop and made the blonde crash out of trace as he focused on maintaining his grip. "T-Taiga-chan? Wh-Why did we—!" His words were caught in his throat once he saw the awe-inspiring view in front of him. There was an open field full of golden tall grasses that swayed gently, harmonizing with the winds rhythm of motion; He saw abundant wildlife scurrying among the tall grass as soon as they were aware of the presence of the boy and tiger. And the last detail to put the icing on the cake was the sun's rays shining down on the landscape, giving it a dazzling view of the serenity of nature.

Taiga trotted down the hill they were currently residing on and into the tall grass. She was very tall than a regular tiger usually was. On all fours, Taiga reached a length of thirteen feet from her snout to her tail tip. Her shoulders were very broad and her limbs garishly long. If she stood up on her hind legs, she would reach a height of a staggering seven to nine feet. So you could image Naruto's surprise that his torso was completely hovering over the tall grass whilst on Taiga's back.

After a few more bounds, they crossed the threshold of the seemingly endless sea of golden grass before stopping at an arch made of rock. The shy boy's cerulean eyes widened at the sculpture of rock as they slowly passed under it.

The tigress growled lightly, immediately gaining the boy's attention. "Wh-What's wrong Taiga-chan?" Naruto asked and gently stoke the feline's neck. She purred in appreciation but only after she gestured her head forward as if she wanted to show the boy something. The blonde blinked before looking ahead only to gasp in surprise once he saw the most surprising thing yet.

There were tigers. Everywhere. It was an enclosure of a large grassy field and a lake with dens made out of harden clay and rock. And the place was filled with giant white tigers of all sizes—big, small, and medium—that was just like Taiga.

Without warning, Taiga bellowed out a tremendous roar that startled Naruto off of her back and hard onto the ground. The other tigers immediately stopped what they were doing and began to bound over to where the lone tigress stood with the human boy. As soon as they were over, they first began to growl and hiss at Naruto at the thought that he was a threat to their kin. The boy shook at their ferocity and hid behind one of Taiga's legs as he tried to make himself disappear.

One of the larger tiger's, a male by the looks of it, took a step forward with his hackles raised and large fangs bared. Just as he was about to pounce, Taiga stood in his way and snarled furiously at him and made the male back up a few paces. She then turned her head towards the frightened boy and gave him a few licks of reassurance on his cheeks.

"_He is not our enemy._" The tigress said with a firm tone. Wait… _said_?!

Naruto snapped his head up at the words and looked at Taiga with a gaping mouth. "T-Taiga-chan… D-Did you j-j-just t-talk?!" He squeaked, hysteria leaking slowly into his edge of tone.

The male tiger from earlier stepped forward again and the quiet Uzumaki noticed that he had a long pink scar over his right eye that was strangely closed. "_The hairless two-leg cub seems to understand our communication methods. Why is that my mate?_" Naruto knew that he was speaking, he could hear his voice, but his jaws weren't moving.

"_I do not know Renji._" Taiga replied with a shake of her luscious mane. "_But we must take him to the Old One. Maybe he will know the answer._" The one named Renji looked at Naruto with his good and stared at the boy long and hard. With a snort and a twitch of his tail, the tiger resigned in defeat.

"_So be it,_" Renji said with a bit of edge in his tone, "_we will see what the Old One has to say. However, I will keep a close eye on the two-leg cub. If he so much as makes an improper move against us, I have the first right to prey upon him._" With that, Renji seemed to smirk at Naruto and licked his lips in anticipation before turning tail and walking back towards the tiger enclosure.

Naruto paled at the male tiger's words and gulped thickly. He felt queasy and weak at the prospect of being eaten by a tiger such as Renji. He didn't even think he would last a mere second against the creature considering he was twice as big as Taiga was. He held onto the tigress's limbs with shaky hands as he tried to keep the bile from his stomache from rising up in his throat and out of his mouth.

Taiga saw the timid boy's suffering and gave him a gentle lick on his forehead to reassure him. "_It is alright young one,_" she soothed with her tail running motherly up and down his spine, "_that is Renji's usual way of assessing things. He has been through soo much during his lifetime; he has become cold and distant. It has even taken many moons for him to even warm up to me and I am his mate._" She seemed to huff in amusement at this. "_Give it time and he will learn to open up to you… more or less._"

Naruto forced down his anxiety to a minimum so he could properly nod. He let himself be picked up by Taiga's maw by the scruff of his shirt and be carried off into the tiger sanctuary. All of the feline inhabitants circled around Taiga as she set down Naruto in the middle of the clearing before she too sat down beside him. Some of the more curious ones went up to the boy and sniffed at him curiously. The Uzumaki was very startled by this but only by Taiga's words of comfort did he calm down.

"_What is all of this commotion going about?_" A raspy voice demanded causing all heads to turn towards it. It was a frail, old looking white tiger that had a clipped ear and was wearing a vine necklace decorated with bones from all sorts of different small animals. From fangs to ribs to legs, it was all looped around the old feline's neck.

Judging by its tone of voice, Naruto concluded that it was a male and further proved his point once he realized that the old cat was taller than Taiga. It seemed that the males were taller than the females even though they were all bigger than normal tiger's.

The Old One finally took noticed of Naruto and narrowed his eyes. The blonde noticed that the tiger's left eye was gray while the right one was its normal color of amber. The Uzumaki figured that he was blind in his left eye. "_So, you have brought a two-leg creature into the sanctuary Taiga, why is that?_" The Old One growled in a low, sarcastic tone.

Taiga narrowed her eyes. "_He is special. He has nursed me back to health despite the fact that I could rip him into two._" To prove her point, she turned her wounded side to the others so they could see. The tigers all gasped before they began to whisper amongst themselves. The Old One didn't look convinced. "_That and he can be able to understand our sacred language._" Everyone except for Renji, the Old One, Taiga, and Naruto gasped in shock.

"_What?_" The elder hissed before he hobbled over to Naruto and began to sniff at him. He prodded the boy a few times with his snout while sniffing—causing the lad to squeak in surprise before trying to mend within Taiga's fur. "_But he is small and weak like a hare. Surely he does not have that kind of power. You speak of nonsense Taiga._"

Naruto suddenly jumped to his feet, causing the Old One to stumble back a few steps and the other tigers to be put on guard, before he spoke in a firm voice. "T-Taiga-chan speaks th-the truth! I-I don't know how, b-but I can understand e-everything you're saying. S-So please spare her fr-from your fury. If i-it suffices," Naruto gulped thickly before he jabbed his thumb to his chest, "then I-I will be more than g-glad to take all of you're a-anger and frustrations!"

The Old One blinked owlishly at the boy's bold words before his face contorted into a look of malice. He held no intentions of killing the boy; he merely wanted to test his metal. "_So, what you are trying to imply is that you are willing to take punishment for Taiga's ludicrous actions?_" The blonde nodded once with a look of steeled determination on his whiskered face. The elder snorted and began to slowly circle the boy in a menacing manner. "_You have moxie; I will give you that, but let's see how long it will last—two-leg!_" The old tiger lifted his paw and unsheathed his claws before slowly lifting it up to the boy's face. Naruto held his gaze forward and unwavering, he did not cry out in pain once the tiger's claws created three new cuts upon his cheeks.

The Old One watched with satisfied eyes at the boy's will. _Hmm, an interesting hairless ape he is…_ He thought before he retracted his claws and neatly placed his paws together as he sat done. "_Well done boy, you have passed my test. You seem to be the one the stars have foretold me._"

Naruto blinked in surprise. "Unh? T-Test? Foretold?"

"_Aye. By proving your determination of sacrificing the possibility of your life for another, you truly are the one the stars have called: The Child of Prophecy._" The Old One seemed to smile at this. "_You are welcome to visit our sanctuary any time you please. Come, you look hungry. Dinner is just about to be served._" After that, the half-blind tiger limped towards the middle of the clearing where a few other big cats were dragging in a few animals from their hunt.

_Child of Prophecy…? What does he mean by that? _The blonde pondered a little more on the thought before his stomach's pleas interrupted his thought processes. _Oh well… I guess it is for another time…_

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, the great Fire Shadow, the God of Shinobi, and the Professor—was currently pacing around his office with absolute worry across his face.

Almost six weeks ago, Naruto Uzumaki went missing from Konoha, and ever since then the old Hokage had been issuing orders to find the boy at all costs. Hiruzen looked at the child as a surrogate grandson and took very much care of the boy in his infant days and early childhood. So once he had gotten word that he had suddenly disappeared, it put the man on edge as dread began to fill him.

He sighed in irritation at the only leading clue he had on his desk. He had found out that the orphanage's caretaker, whose name escaped him at the moment, had kicked Naruto out and drove him off into disappearance. The woman had told, albeit quite rudely, that she didn't care for the supposed "demon child" and would be better for everyone if he did disappear. She was later brought to the Interrogation and Torture Unit for questioning.

Hiruzen stifled his yawns and quickly looked through the reports of the current ANBU on reconnaissance of the missing Uzumaki child. His eyes had bags under them; his face looked much older and more garish than it did before. He hadn't slept in days and was working himself to the bone for Naruto. People told him that he should rest and take a break from it all, but he would curtly decline their offers with little room to argue.

He gave out a deep sigh and stood behind his desk as he looked out over Konoha through his giant windows the office provided. He placed an old wrinkled hand on the glass as his gaze turned sullen. _Naruto… where are you…?_ He brought out of his thoughts once he felt another presence in the room. He stiffened his posture and turned around with the upmost regality he could muster. "So have you found anything, Dog?"

Dog was the man's codename as all ANBU members were assigned. He was a relatively tall man and wore the standard attire of the ANBU; a simple blue suit with the standard grey flak jacket, strapped up sandals, and arm guards. Along with it he donned plated gloves that traveled all the way up to his arms with bandages wrapped around the right one. He carried a sword that was sheathed and strapped to his back and his mask resembled a dog's face with red and black markings around the eyes, sides and mouth. The tattoo on his left shoulder signified his loyalty as an ANBU Black Opp operative and for some reason he did not wear the Leaf's forehead protector under his mask.

"Yes sir," He replied in a baritone voice, "I have spotted Naru—the child deep in the Forty-Forth Training Ground. He is in the Forest of Death Hokage-sama." Dog scowled at his little slip up but he had no time to berate himself, his late sensei's legacy was in danger and he would do everything in his power to protect him.

_This is unacceptable for me…_ Dog thought solemnly though his kneeled posture never faltered. _I am an ANBU captain and here I am not even following through with my assigned mission. _He smiled darkly at the thought. _Well from now on, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that this doesn't happen again!_

"What?!" The Hokage hissed vehemently at the news. He slammed his fist on the red button next to his intercom in frustration. "Assign a team of five ANBU and report them to my office now!" He barked and less than a minute later, five other ANBU appeared in a swirl of leaves and kneeled respectfully in front of their leader just as Dog has done.

"How may we be of service Hokage-sama?" An ANBU in a weasel mask asked respectfully.

"I need you six to locate and retrieve Naruto Uzumaki." Hiruzen stated in an authoritative tone. The shinobi knew that this was no longer the grandfatherly Hokage who spoke; it was their powerful leader who led and won many wars when this great nation was in peril. "Dog, you will be in charge of this mission. You must find him at all costs and bring him back here alive, is that understood?"

"Hai Hokage-sama!" They all chorused as one.

The Third nodded. "Good. Dismissed!" And as one, the ANBU disappeared from the office as if they had never existed.

* * *

Long ears of a grey hare twitched in the brush of the tall grass before it steadily swayed along in the gentle breeze. The creature nibbled on a seed it had found from a broken nut and was relishing in its wondrous taste. It licked its paws before wiping them on its face to cleanse itself until it suddenly ceased its motions. Its long ears shot up in high alert and its little heart thundered in its chest as it sensed the presence of danger.

Something big, not far off from it, was slowly creeping its way towards the creature. The hare twitched its nose and snapped its head towards the direction of the big thing making it stop its creeping. The hare sniffed, smelling an odd smell, which made its head tilt in confusion. The big thing took its chance and in a burst of speed lunged at the creature. The hare squeaked in surprise before it started to make its high speed flight. The hare zig-zagged in the underbrushes of the grass but the big thing was hot on its tail having gained the upper hand of this deadly game of hunter and prey. And in a flash of yellow, the hare squeaked as it was tackled and held tightly in the jaws of its assailant.

The rabbit writhed in the jaws but soon stopped when its hunter began to put more pressure upon the creature. The hare submitted but not before looking at its attacker. It was the darnedest thing. It seemed to be a hairless ape with blue eyes and a spiky blonde top upon its head.

"_Good catch Naruto-kun!_" A voice praised the boy with the small animal in his jaws. Naruto Uzumaki smiled as much as he could with a full mouth as he made his way over to three white tiger's.

Having spent six weeks within the tiger enclosure, Naruto had been taught and had learned about the tigers and tigresses ways of life. They had nursed him, trained him, and love him like they would their own. And he had in turn had treated them with the upmost respect.

He admittedly missed Konoha and the few people who had cared about him, but he had no idea how to escape the vast forest and he didn't want to upset his new family by abandoning them. So he had decided to stay and learn as much as he could to survive the ways of the jungle.

Naruto galloped on all fours towards the small team of tigers, his loincloth fluttering behind him as he went. The felines had told him that in order for him to keep up with their speed and teachings, he would have to discard his involvement of the human world and embrace the art of the beasts. He was of course embarrassed by the vulgarity of the idea, but later accepted it once they shredded his clothes after he refused.

The boy sighed through his nose once he distinctly remembered that he had to make a loin cloth out of the remains.

Naruto spat out the hare at the tigers' paws and turned away once they caught it and swiftly killed it with a snap of its neck. He felt a tail run soothingly down his spine and looked up to see Taiga—the tigress he saved a little while ago—give him a reassuring look.

"_Little one, you must learn to accept the fate of the prey during a hunt. Its lost will not go in vain for it will bring forth much strength that you will need the next day._" She said sagely before she gave him a tender lick upon his cheek.

Naruto leaned into the tender affection but it did nothing to squelch his guilt. "I-I know but it p-pains me to see its life end f-for our own gain." Another lick found its way to his cheek but it wasn't from Taiga this time, it was a tigress with a curly white mane and jet black paws that committed the act of affection. Her name was Kaede and she was sisters—or as they like to call it, denmates—with Taiga. She, like her sister, had taken an extreme fondness of Naruto, though she was a smidge harder on him than Taiga was.

"_Think of it this way Naruto-kun,_" Kaede reasoned in a slight gruff of tone, "_new life is given by the releasing of old._" The blonde boy still looked confused. The tigress sighed. "_Come. Follow._" And with a flick of her tail, Kaede beckoned the timid lad after her. The trio followed after the curly-mane feline as she led them back into the enclosure. The third tiger that was male and went by the name of Sho, was currently carrying their haul of prey. They had caught three hares, four adding Naruto's; two plump birds, and a hog that would be added to the Feeding Circle for eating midday.

Sho attempted to speak but nearly choked on his load. Taiga huffed with laughter and raised a tail to cease his struggling. "_Go and add those to the Feeding Circle. We will meet again after a few minutes._" He nodded and began to trot over to the pile of dead animal carcasses. Taiga went along her own way and followed after Kaede and Naruto, whom had gone into the nursery.

She walked in to see a heart-warming sight. A tigress, whose name seemed to leave her for a moment, had given birth to three healthy newborn cubs. They all mewled in protest at the gentle breeze caressing their fur and they writhed around pitifully with their eyes sewn shut.

Naruto was gazing at the baby cubs with unabashed awe and adoration. He hesitantly poked at one, only for it to mewl loudly before it nipped at his finger. It didn't hurt the boy at all in fact it actually tickled. The blonde chuckled lightly at the valiant cub and started to rub the cub's belly with his single finger. The newborn squirmed before relaxing under his ministrations.

"I-I think the perfect name for him w-would be… Kenta. S-Strong and stout." Naruto stated before he blinked and realized what he had just said in front of the mother. It was her cubs and he had the audacity to name one without her consent! He just hoped she wasn't too mad at him. "O-Or wh-whatever name y-you feel like m-madam! G-Gomen, I did n-not know m-my—!"

"_I think…_" the mother began as she gazed down at the cub he was playing with earlier. He realized that that cub was the only male of the group. "_…that Kenta is a wonderful name. Arigatou, Naruto-san._"

Said boy just blinked before his face began turning pink in embarrassment. He fidgeted in his spot and poked his index fingers together, a habit that he had started to develop. "M-My pleasure m-madam." He squeaked.

Kaede roared with laughter and gave him a hard prod at his side with her snout. "_See Naruto-kun, new life is being birthed by the sacrifice of the old. You aren't killing for gain, you are doing it for the protection of what is most important. Remember that and it will lead you far._" Kaede said wisely as she gave him an affectionate nuzzle atop his fuzzy blonde head.

Naruto nodded and smiled before he returned her nuzzles with his own. They were, however, brought out of their musings when they heard a commotion of panicking rise outside of the nursery. The two tigresses and the human boy quickly scurried outside to see the enclosure in a state of panic. Many were running and stumbling over each other while others were grouping together as if they were getting ready for war.

"_What in the name of Kami-sama is going on right now?!"_ Kaede yelled gruffly, demanding an answer. A moment later, a male stumbled in front of the curly-mane feline with terror reflecting in his amber eyes. "_Speak! What is happening?!_"

"_I-It's… it's…_" He shook his mane and finally spat it out. "_It's the adult two-legs! They are carrying weapons and heading this way at a quick pace!_"

Kaede growled and looked over to Taiga. Her sister nodded before they both roared loud enough to gain the attention of everyone in the clearing. "_My Brothers and Sisters please be calm!_" Taiga's voice rang out over their panicking. "_The adult hairless apes have clearly come to take something of us by force so we must be calm and stand with clear minds and fight with vigor to protect our land and our kin! Will you join me?!_" As one, everyone cheered their agreements.

Kaede stepped towards the crowd with her chin held high and her curled mane swaying in the breeze before she spoke. "_Then let us assemble our fighting troops and lay in wait for them before we attack!_" Kaede looked at her sister one final time before she fled into the masses.

Naruto was mortified that there were shinobi from his village planning to attack his newfound home. He was about to suggest his help to Taiga, but she began to push him roughly into the nursery. "T-Taiga-chan, I-I can help! Really I can! J-Just let me—!"

"_No._" Taiga said sternly as she blocked the nursery's only exit. "_You must stay in here Naruto-kun. These adult two-legs are most likely after you, and we will fight to the death to ensure your safety. You are one of us now._" She turned to leave but was stopped by Naruto pulling her tail.

"T-Taiga-chan I'm pretty sure these guys a-are friendly! Just let me reason w-with them and—!"

"_Naruto._" Taiga hissed making the boy let go in slight fear. "_We have dealt with your kind before, and so far you are the only one of your kind that has treated us with care. The rest has hunted, slaughtered, destroyed, or even skinned us alive for our supernatural properties._" The blonde's eyes widened in horror. "_Please stay here and be safe. And protect Katsumi and her newborn cubs while you are here. Protect your family Naruto, protect them._"

And with that she fled from the nursery leaving Naruto to stare after her as she went into battle. He turned back to the now named Katsumi and saw her look up at him with fearful eyes as her tail curled protectively around her pups. He pursed his lips before he gave her a reassuring smile. "D-Don't worry Katsumi-san, Kaede-chan and Taiga-chan a-and I will protect you and your family. B-Because we are a family. We are family…" He cast a glance back at the outside word before he completely dissolved inside the nursery.

* * *

Dog and his team were skillfully gliding and hopping over trees as they made their way around the Forest of Death. They were hot on their target's trail and were closing in fast on his location.

"Let's pick up the pace everyone." Dog barked out as he jumped from tree to tree in a display of skill he, like any other shinobi, had gained over the years. "Our target is two-hundred fifty-six meters north, northeast. Rescue, retrieve, and return. Is that clear?"

"Hai, Captain!" They all chanted as one. Dog nodded before he increased his speed along with his subordinates. They reached a clearing of tall golden grass and were about to proceed when Dog halted them with a sharp whistle. They looked at him only to see him tap four fingers against his thigh and angled his head towards the grass. They looked back and saw that four huge felines were slowly creeping their way over to them.

"Looks like this mission isn't going to be as clean as we originally thought." An ANBU with a slug mask said, annoyance clearly evident in his tone of voice.

"None of our missions are clean you dolt." One with a cat mask said blatantly. She was about to reach for some senbon to take out a few but was halted by Dog's hand.

"Wait a second." His team heard him sniff. "That's… his scent. I smell Naruto's scent permeating from them. Either they have him hostage or they have pieces of his clothes." Dog's dark eyes hardened under his mask but no one could tell. "Keep at least one of them alive, we need them to lead us back to where they have taken the boy."

"Understood." And they stood in their battle ready stances as the tiger's made their move to pounce on them.

* * *

Naruto was busy soothing the new mother tigress, Katsumi, as they heard loud clamoring and yelling outside. Sometimes the ground would shake, startling them both, and would make the newborns mewl pitifully in protest.

The blonde was currently hugging the mother around her neck and felt her tremble in his grip. She bent her neck around, as if to hug him, and firmly pressed against the boy as she pressed her cubs against her warm body. "_What's going to happen to us Naruto-san…?_" Katsumi whispered against his shoulder. "_Will we… will we disappear…?_"

"No," Naruto stated with conviction as he hugged her tiger, "you will not disappear. I will make sure of that. Even… even if I have to sacrifice myself, I will make sure that your kind will not go into extinction."

The mother seemed to relax a little at his resolution. "_You are a brave one with a kind soul. I just know you will reach far and greet bigger and better things, Naruto-san. But for now, Arigatou._"

Naruto flushed at her praise but looked into her eyes nonetheless. "You are very much welcome, Katsumi-san. Now please rest, it has been a long day for you." The tigress looked skeptical and hesitated for a moment, but her tiredness from her recent labor and other activities had been getting to her. With a small nod, she yawned and curled protectively around her already slumbering cubs before she too fell asleep.

The timid Uzumaki took this time to poke his head out of the nursery den's only entrance and/or exit. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.

There were six shinobi that were currently fighting a horde of white tigers in the sacred enclosure. By the looks of their masks and dark clothing, these ninja were high-skilled ANBU operatives most likely looking for him. They quickly dispatched off the army of wild beasts as if they were nothing more than flies. Naruto's eyes widened once he saw the ANBU in the dog mask point his kunai above a badly wounded tiger's throat, about to give it the finishing blow.

His heart nearly stopped once he realized that the bloodied tiger was Taiga.

Adrenaline pumped through his bloodstream and into his system at a breakneck speed. His heart increased its beat as the cold hard grip of fear blossomed in his chest. Time seemed to slow as he took his first step forward. He then took another step. Then another. And another. Before finally he burst out in a full blown sprint, kicking up dust in his wake. The only thing that made his presence known was a yellow streak as he ran towards the ninja and the tiger.

_Taiga!_ Was the eight-year old's only thought before he dived towards the shinobi holding the kunai as his hand descended towards the tigress's neck.

* * *

Dog was becoming thoroughly annoyed with the interference of these wild cats. Sure they had technically marched into their territory, but they had sprang up and attacked them out of nowhere for no apparent reason. Dog knew that tigers were exceedingly smart creatures, so he concluded that they must have had a reason for attacking them. He just couldn't figure out what.

So when this especially aggressive feline launched into a heated battle with him, he had become even more curious and annoyed at her persistence to stop him. But of course, he had won their little skirmish and was about to end its life when a yellow blur slammed into his body without warning. His comrades shouted out for his wellbeing but the captain said nothing as he tried to fend off the unknown creature.

It had gotten ahold of his arm and was adding excruciating pressure on it with its teeth making the man wince in pain. When he finally looked down to get a good look at his assailant he was astonished to find bright blonde hair in his vision. It was a small boy with tanned skin and three whisker marks upon each of his cheeks. He had blue eyes that were currently scowling at Dog with a fearsome gaze, and was growling to the best of his abilities with the man's arm in his mouth. He was scantily clothed, Dog noticed, but other than that he was fine.

"Naruto…?" Dog whispered, his voice betraying him as he looked at the boy with shock. Said boy perked up at his name being called and his eyes softened as he analyzed the man. The boy spat out his Dog's arm before he slowly backed away from the man. The ANBU Captain also noticed that the lad was walking on all fours now. Just how much did the Forty-Fourth Training Ground affect the child?

"Why are you here ANBU-san?" Dog let out a sigh of relief. Good, he could still speak human language. "Why are you attacking my family?" Naruto said that as he looked back at the tigers.

Dog's eyes hardened under his mask. "Family? Naruto, these creatures are wild animals. They only see humans as food and will be merciless—!"

"You're wrong." The whiskered child whispered, cutting the man off. Naruto smiled softly as he gently shook his head. "If they saw me as food then why did they not kill me or eat me? Why did they take me under their wing for the past month and teach me new things about the ways of the forest?"

The man went speechless at the eight-year old's words and watched as the boy looked back at the beasts, whom were licking their wounds, and they watched the team of humans with anxious eyes. "They are merciful creatures who have accepted me despite being a human. They conquered their fear of me and gave our kind another chance to coexist despite their blood-filled past." The blond sighed contentedly, looking up at the clear baby blue sky. "They treat me as their own kin and they are the closest thing that I have ever had to a family. So I'll ask again, why are you attacking my family, ANBU-san?"

Dog saw the flames of determination and strive ignite in the small boy's eyes, and it surprised him of how much chivalry the boy held that seemed to be greater than many of the shinobi Konoha had to offer. Dog blinked. It was as if he saw his old sensei ghosting over the small child giving him the same look of determination that the boy was displaying before him.

A small smile stretched upon his thin lips but no one could see it under his mask. "You are a very interesting kid, Naruto Uzumaki," He chuckled, "but I think you know why we are here. It's time for you to return home, to your _real_ home."

Naruto sighed, his cerulean eyes looking crestfallen with sagging shoulders. "I-I understand. B-But if you w-will allow me, just please let me s-say goodbye ANBU-san."

Dog stared at him. "You have five minutes. No more, no less."

The timid child nodded and stood up onto his two feet and made his way over to the wounded Taiga. Her ears twitched once she heard him advancing towards her and was about to greet him but stopped once she noticed that he was walking on his hind legs like the humans did.

Once he reached her, he squatted down to her level and gave her a sad smile. He stroked her flank gently before moving his hand up to her muzzle. Taiga was looking at him with evident distress in her amber eyes once she was made aware of the boy's sullen body language. "_Naruto,_" she said slowly, "_you are leaving are you not?_"

The boy was silent, ceasing his stroking, before speaking. "H-Hai, Taiga-chan… I am…"

The tigress's eyes wandered over to the abiding ninja and they then traveled back to the boy. She sighed with a low, strangled rumble echoing in her throat. "_I-I see…_" She suddenly wrapped her neck around him, pulling the pained boy against her flush. "_You do not have to leave, Little One. I can always take care of you, nurse you, feed you, and give you everything that you have desired for soo long. Stay here with us. With me_."

The Uzumaki sighed contentedly against Taiga's chest, his hands gripping tighter on her fur. He felt his eyes water and screwed them shut once he felt the downpours of his sadness flow down his whiskered cheeks. "I-I d-don't want to leave T-Taiga-chan," he croaked in a constricted voice, "b-but I have to… I-If I don't, the ANBU will t-take me away by f-force and keep me a-away from h-here." Taiga looked as if she were about to protest but Naruto just shook his head silencing her. "E-Even if y-you do fight them T-Taiga-chan, y-you will all g-get hurt or worse k-killed. I-If that happened, I-I don't know what I'll d-do…"

The tigress's head hung solemnly at the truth of the child's words. Their battle today with the shinobi had ended up in failure with a great many casualties caused by only five humans. If the entirety of the Hidden Leaf's shinobi participated in combat against the wild cats, then the beasts would all go into extinction.

She sighed in defeat as she felt the boy slip out of her hold. They stared into each other's distraught eyes before nuzzling their heads against one another for what seemed like the final time. Then Naruto stood onto his feet, bowed respectfully to her, before turning on his heel and walk with the other humans as they left the enclosure without another word.

Taiga knew she would have to break the news of Naruto's departure. She knew how many sorrowful hearts she would break. And she knew that hers would break the most as she had to hide her emotions in order to reassure the masses that she was going about this rationally and persuade them to do the same.

She roared in despair and anger at that thought with a single tear shedding down her furry cheek.

* * *

"Naruto-kun!" Hiruzen exclaimed once he saw the boy walk into the room with his assigned team of six ANBU. The small child was covered in a large blue shawl as to cover his exposed flesh against the harsh winds that had passed through Konoha at the time.

The old Hokage quickly went up to the boy and grabbed him into a tight embrace. The blonde hesitated for a moment, not having a lot of experience with this type of bodily contact, before he gently returned it with a small smile of content on his lips. Hiruzen slowly loosened his grip, his hands on the small boy's shoulders. "Naruto my boy," the Fire Shadow began, all pleasantries aside, "what were you doing in the Forest of Death for the past month? And why didn't you come back to Konoha?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side to show his confusion. "Th-The Forest of… D-Death?"

Hiruzen nodded. "Yes, the mass forest that you were residing in for the past six weeks."

The eight-year old cringed at the name of the forest he had called home for the past month but quickly brushed it off. He still considered it home despite the horrid name because that was where his first real family lived in. Naruto gave a sad sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by the Sandaime and the team of ANBU. "I-I was… I-I was staying with s-some white tigers during th-the month Hiruzen-oji—I-I mean Hokage-sama."

"White tigers?!" Hiruzen exclaimed with his old wrinkly eyes widening in shock. "What were you doing staying with those savage beasts Naruto-kun?" Now the little boy didn't like the way the Sandaime Hokage described his new family but he understood of where the old man was coming from. So the boy went into a long explanation of his restless and interesting month spent in the Forty-Fourth Training Grounds. He told of his adventures with the tigers, how they taught him the ways of the forest, how to walk on all fours, how to hunt like them. The Sandaime was of course surprised at the fact that not only the boy survived at such a young age, but at the fact that one of the most ferocious beasts in the deadly area actually took the boy in their ranks.

The Hokage pinched the bridge of his nose to try and recollected whatever thoughts and questions he could get a hold of. "Well Naruto, it seems that you have had a very interesting day today." He glanced outside and saw the sun sinking into the horizon, the sky lighting up in the beautiful warm colors of reds, yellows, and oranges. "We'll catch up on this tomorrow Naruto-kun, for right now you will be staying with a charge until we find you a place to live, it'll be dark out soon."

Said blonde boy fidgeted before he began to tap his fingers nervously as he looked away from the Sandaime Hokage. "U-Umm th-that's really okay H-Hokage-sama, I can j-just sleep—"

"With me." Someone said, cutting the boy off. Everyone turned their attention to the Captain of the Naruto Retrieval Squad, Dog. He was not the lax man that the Hokage was used to seeing; rather he was a man with a stone-cold resolve as he stared at the Hokage with finality blazing in his eye. "I will be the charge of the boy Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen raised a brow as he regarded the man. "You Dog? And why, pretell, would you wish to take care of young Naruto?" He asked.

Dog stared at the Sandaime before folding his arms. "To fully carry out a promise to a man I knew long ago."

The Third seemed to smile at this thought which further confused his other operatives and a certain young boy. Hiruzen linked his bony fingers together before he spoke with an air of authority. "Very well, I will trust your overseeing of young Naruto here, Dog. You are all dismissed for the night."

"Hai Hokage-sama!" The ANBU chorused.

* * *

Naruto was locked in an internal battle in his brain as he was trying to figure out the situation that he was in right now. He was currently walking with an ANBU operative that had somehow known his name and was letting him stay with him at his house.

He looked up at the masked man. He seemed pretty nice enough to the young blonde and he seemed very adamant of becoming his caretaker for the time being. And the young Uzumaki couldn't explain, but somehow this man was eerily familiar to him… like he has seen him somewhere before in his short life.

Dog noticed that the boy was staring at him. "What, is there something on me face?" He questioned, and inwardly smiled at Naruto's startled squeak.

"N-No sir!" He stuttered out before he began to tap his two index fingers together. "I-It's just that I-I feel like I have m-met you s-somewhere before in an earlier t-time… have w-we?" The boy looked up at the man with confusion sparkling in his azure eyes.

Dog's eyebrows rose in surprise at the boy's question. The whiskered child was actually correct with his assumption. Dog had been Naruto's protector for many years now, always guarding over his house while he slept and intervened in as much beatings as inconspicuously as possible.

"No, I don't think we have," the ANBU captain lied smoothly, "I would know if I have ever met you before. I have very good perceptional photographic memory you know."

"I-I see…" It was strange, the boy thought, he could've sworn that he had at least caught a glimpse of this man some point in time in the past. Maybe it really was all in his mind? The blonde lad didn't know, but his instincts told him he had seen this man before and the boy always trusted his instincts. He wouldn't have survived this long if he hadn't.

After a few minutes of walking in definite silence, the duo had arrived at Dog's place of resident. Naruto looked at the house in awe and soaked in its comfortable features. It was a simple two story grey house with a large training ground and lake in the back and iron barbed gates surrounding the complex. As they went inside, Dog showed the boy the four bedrooms, two bathrooms, large kitchen and living area that the home provided.

The Captain had told the Uzumaki to stay put on the couch while he got him some changing clothes to fit into. Naruto dutifully obeyed, as he was ordered to do at the orphanage, and waited for the man's return. As he waited, the blonde took in the house's decorated arrangements. It was simple and plain but it had a cozy feel to it that made the child feel right at home.

Naruto's ears perked up once he heard the heavy sounds of footsteps walk down the stairs. He saw Dog carrying neatly folded clothes but was surprised to see his mask off. He had spiky white hair and had the Hidden Leaf's hitai-ate cover his left eye while his other was unharmed and was staring at him lazily. The strangest part about his face was not the fact that his left eye was covered, but that the entirety of the lower-half of his face was covered by a dark mask. The whiskered child couldn't help but raise a blonde brow at this as he silently kept his confusion to himself.

"Here you go," Dog said as he handed the small boy some clothes. The lad graciously took them from him and started to frantically look around as if he was searching for something. He opened his mouth to speak but the ANBU had already beaten him to it. "The bathroom is upstairs, third door on the right." He said and lazily pointed a finger at the stairs.

Naruto quickly stood up and bowed to the man. "Th-Thank you very much, D-Dog-san."

"Don't mention it." He waved off the boy's politeness with a hand. "Oh and by the way, my name is Kakashi Hatake, Dog is just my codename for when I go to work."

Naruto nodded. "W-Well thank you K-Kakashi-san."

* * *

Kakashi watched the blonde sleep as he sat on the edge of the bed. It was only ten minutes after they had arrived and the boy had already hit the sack for the night. He was wearing Kakashi's old faded out black T-shirt and pants for pajama wear for the night.

The masked man chuckled in amusement as the normally quiet boy start to snore loud enough to wake a bear. His small limbs were stretched out in a comical manner and twitched occasionally as a result of his dreams. The Hatake had not expected such a meek child to do such vulgar activities during the night.

_He never ceases to surprise me…_ Kakashi mused before he got up and tucked the boy under the covers. The ANBU Captain quietly snuck out of the room and left the door cracked just enough to let some of the hallway light through.

He stretched and yawned as he made his way towards his own room and immediately crashed onto his bed. He sluggishly pulled his mask off, showing his narrow jawline and handsome features, and placed it haphazardly on his bedside table. He only had one thought before he slipped into the sweet unconsciousness that was called sleep.

_I promise Minato-sensei, Kushina-sensei, that I will take care of your son that I was assigned to do and not neglect him any forward from this day forward… I promise…_ And with that last thought, the Hatake felt the comforting grip of darkness overcloud his vision and pull him into a deep, deep sleep.

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_In the Next Chapter of the Quiet Uzumaki and the Robust Hyuuga: Living Arrangements, the Council Changes, and the Hokage's Deal._

* * *

**WHOO! I am finally finished with this new story! I gotta tell ya, this took me at least a month to write what with my school increasing its hours and more tests and work to do. UGH! But anyway, I hope you guys enjoy cause I thought of how much you guys would enjoy this story if you do.**

**Ja ne! ^/^**


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